


Pink Duct Tape

by chaseandcatch



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-10
Updated: 2015-09-10
Packaged: 2018-04-20 01:47:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 709
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4768961
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chaseandcatch/pseuds/chaseandcatch
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mabel has a suspicion, and a present.<br/>(Billford is mentioned, but not really included beyond that.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Pink Duct Tape

“You dated him, didn’t you?”

Ford jumps, hand jerking to his portal ray. He swings around to face the elevator doors, raises it, and freezes. A small head pokes up, and a pink glow lights up Ford’s lab. Ford drops his aim, shoves the ray back in his pocket. “Mabel, how did you get down here?”

“Dipper won’t shut up about this place,” Mabel says. “ _Oh my god, Mabel, it’s so amazing,_ so I figured I should check it out for myself.” A moment passes, and she holds up something that glints in the light. “Also, I decorated your goggles!"

“My-” Ford cuts himself off, looking back at the workdesk. “I thought I left those upstairs.”

“You did!” Mabel chirps, skipping closer, her arms outstretched. “And now they’re _fabulous.”_

Ford peers down through his glasses. His goggles, this morning broken on one side, now have what looks like a solid inch of pink duct tape plastered over the crack. Rhinestones gleam like tiny diamonds, spotting around the lenses. On the non-plastered side, the letters _G-R-A-D-P-A_ fill up once-black space with a shade of purple so bright Ford’s not sure he can look at it for too long.

“So,” Mabel says, after a few moments, “do you – _like_ it?”

Ford takes the goggles from her, crouches down. “Mabel,” he says, hesitantly, “I’ve been to over twenty billion dimensions. I’ve encountered some of the most extraordinary and dangerous things in the multiverse, and…”

Mabel’s grin lowers a little. “And?”

Ford removes his glasses, and snaps the goggles on. “And,” he says, “this is one of the most _amazing_ things I’ve ever seen.”

Mabel giggles, the light in her eyes returning, and she fist-pumps the air. “Yeah! You promise you like it?”

“I promise,” Ford says, smiling at her. He stands up, stretching the goggles to rest on his forehead, and walks back to his workbench.

“You still didn’t answer my question, though,” Mabel says, her voice teasing.

“Mabel,” Ford says, “these are truly remarkable, but-”

“I meant about _Bill.”_

Ford freezes, hand still half-raised to point to the goggles. He lowers it, slowly, and swallows. “What do you mean, about – about _Bill_?”

“Come on, Great Uncle Ford!” She grins, rushing over to sit on his workbench. Ford moves to stop her, but she bounces around too much for him to keep up with, let alone stop. “You can tell me!”

“Tell you _what?”_

“You two totally dated, right?” Mabel crosses her legs. Ford can see her sweater-of-the-day better now – it’s a large spider, with hearts for eyes. “You sounded _super_ awkward when you were telling me and Dipper about him.”

“Well, Mabel, I-” Ford cuts himself off, looks at his shoes. “We have a – a strange history.”

“I knew it,” Mabel squeals, “you _loved_ him! _Loved-loved, loved-loved-loved!”_

“Mabel,” Ford says, “I – my relationship with Bill was… complicated, yes.”

“You can talk to me about it, you know.”

Ford looks up. “E-excuse me?”

Mabel’s grin vanishes, replaced with wide, knowing eyes. “I have an _army_ of ex-crushes, Great Uncle Ford.”

Ford stares, for a moment. “Really?”

“I know how jerkish boys can be,” she says, nodding. “There was one guy that put on puppet shows, like, religiously-”

“-that doesn’t sound awful,” Ford says.

“ _And_ made out with his puppets.”

Ford furrows his eyebrows. “That – yeah, that’s… actually pretty awful.”

“So,” Mabel says, her face still-serious, “got any spooky-ex stories to share?”

Ford sighs, smiling. “I appreciate the offer, kid, but I don’t think so.”

“But Uncle Ford-”

Ford holds up a hand, and Mabel cuts herself off. “Another day,” he says. His mind flicks to the rift. “When I have more time.”

“I guess I’ll go, then,” Mabel says, pouting slightly. She stands up, walks into the elevator, and pushes the _1._

“Oh, and Mabel?”

She perks up, reaches out to stop the door from closing. “Yeah?”

Ford holds up the goggles. “These are really going to help with my work,” he says. “Thank you.”

She grins, and retracts her hand. “You’re welcome, Grunkle Ford!”

The elevator ascends. Ford spins back around in his chair, thumbing over the side of his goggles, his eyes lit up in wonder.

Countless cities, twenty billion dimensions, and not once did he see pink duct tape.

**Author's Note:**

> I needed to write some happy Ford after those last two, so here you go. <3


End file.
